More screams of pain from the passage outside the room, suffering, the lot of men more brave than cautious.
John shook himself back to the business of the moment. Brushed a film of clammy sweat from his forehead. Tried to concentrate on what was important -- saving his own skin.
How long would the fire last in that quick burning material?
By the sound of those cries, long enough.
Trying to banish thoughts about how he'd failed -- again -- to bring peace and stability to Stil-de-grain, John slipped over the dew-slick flagstones to the wall opposite the door. Repressing his emotions like Auro deadened the minds of his automatons, John counted up the black stone blocks until he came to the secret compartment's false front. Seizing the stone, he pulled, the slab giving way, John swinging it to the side after it had cleared the surrounding blocks.
Reaching into the black cavity, first touching the small book of Melcor's magic, John felt ... the metal handle of the static-electric generator! Lifted out the machine. Set it on the floor. Closed the secret door.
A shadow! A wraith ... creeping across the light shaft that lanced through the enlarged ceiling hole!
Frightened, John whirled about, expecting to see a guard who'd gotten through the flaming barricade. ... Saw nothing ....
Saw ... Platinia!
No mistake. It was the girl, approaching from the shadows across the room.
Impossibly ..... Platinia!
Behind the girl came shouts from the guards. Luckily, still cries of pain and of frustration. Wisps of smoke were now drifting through the chamber's archway, the scent of burning wood helping to purify the poisonous odor of the tower.
"How did you get past the guards? Past the fire ....?"
"I was already ... here," said the girl in her small, velvet voice.
"Already ...?"
"There." She pointed at the dark wall by the passageway.
"You were here when we arrived?"
"Yes."
"But how ...?"
The girl looked down, then up at him with her wide, black eyes. "I knew where you would go, great Mage. Even while you were trapped in the cage, I was ... with you. Hidden." She looked down at her small, slippered feet. "But the soldiers raised your prison in the air. I could not come to you in the night. So ... I waited. I saw the others come for you."
"And you didn't call out to us to take you along?"
"It was ... too fast. All were quickly gone."
"But how did you get here ahead of us?"
"I know ... ways ... in the palace."
That's right, John reminded himself. Between his first and second trips here, Platinia had lived in the castle. Knew its passages. While he blundered down this corridor and that, the girl could easily have taken a shortcut to the tower room, her dark good looks and black, floor length robe making her invisible until she'd chosen to reveal herself.
"The others are already up the rope as you probably saw." Platinia nodded. "And you must go, too. If Pfnaravin finds you were with us when we escaped, he'll take away your freedom."
At that, a rare smile flickered at the corners of the girl's full lips. "The other Mage is not the one who has taken away my freedom."
"Not yet, but he will if he sees you as one of my party."
"It does not matter," Platinia said, looking at the floor again, "I cannot climb."
Naturally.
But not a problem, John able to carry the small girl on his back.
That was the plan, then. To boost Platinia to the roof.
John stepped forward. Took Platinia's small hand to lead her to the rope. And ....
Without knowing how it happened, almost as if Platinia had thrown herself at him, the girl was in John's arms. Nestling into him. Making him feel warm. Safe. Loved.
Bending, John kissed her. Gently. On the lips.
Then kissed her again, more passionately, the girl's arms flying around his neck, John lifting her off the floor so they could kiss more fully.
The world ... stopped ... Platinia fused into John's soul!
How long they kissed -- gently, desperately, eternally -- John didn't know, the kiss only ended by a sharp metallic sound. As if ... a metal object ... had fallen to the floor.
No matter. It was in the quiet of that, forever kiss, that John decided. That he must take Platinia home with him. Not that he would desert his friends forever. For no matter how long it took, John would find a way to stanch the open wound that was his nation, Stil-de-grain.
For now, confident that Golden would find a way to retrieve John's yellow crystal, John would return to be the Mage of Stil-de-grain! With all the responsibilities of that high calling!
As for his sudden, passion for the girl cuddled in his arms; as for his decision to take her with him to his world, John knew it made no sense.
But then, love never did!
###
About the Author
John G. Stockmyer is an individual whose irrepressible creativity has manifested itself in many ways: as a poet, teacher, produced playwright, author, co-owner of an educational materials business, creator of a time-machine simulator, and, more recently, as a podcaster and producer of eBooks. During his career he has received awards for scholarship, numerous teaching awards and, as a writer, was a Thorpe Menn finalist.
He is the co-author of three non-fiction books: Unleashing the Right Side of the Brain - The Stephen Greene Press, Life Trek: The Odyssey of Adult Development - Humanics, and Right Brain Romance - Ginn Press. He is also the author of over 20 works of fiction, including the Crime/Hard-Boiled "Z-Detective" Series, and the Science-Fiction/Fantasy "Under The Stairs" Series. He has also written a quirky vampire novel titled, The Gentleman Vampire.
John G. Stockmyer is now semi-retired from a 40+ year career as an Ancient/European History Professor at Maple Woods Community College, but still teaches and writes part-time. He currently lives in Kansas City, Missouri with his wife Connie.
For more information about the author, and to download or purchase Print Books, eBooks and Audio-Books from the "collection," please visit the John G. Stockmyer "Books" web site at: www.johnstockmyer.com/books
If you enjoyed Back Under The Stairs, you'll probably also like Book #3 in the Bandworld Series. Ellen Under The Stairs is currently available for $4.99 from the author's web site, and from many fine online retailers.
To send questions or comments to the author, send an e-mail to: [email protected] (all e-mails are personally answered and/or forwarded by the author's son: John L. Stockmyer)
Table of Contents
Back Under The Stairs - Book 2 in The Bandworld Series
Midpoint
About the Author
Back Under The Stairs - Book 2 in The Bandworld Series Page 31
